1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tape formatting and more particularly relates to timing-based servo tape formatting.
2. Description of the Related Art
Magnetic tape provides a means for physically storing data to longitudinal tracks of a magnetic tape moved longitudinally with respect to read and/or write heads. One method for maximizing the amount of data that can be stored is to maximize the number of parallel tracks on the media, and that is typically accomplished by employing servo systems which provide track following and allow the tracks to be spaced very closely. Another method for maximizing the amount of data that can be stored is to maximize the amount of data that can be stored on an individual track, and often the recording and detection arrangements require that the longitudinal movement of the magnetic tape be kept relatively constant in order to maximize the data density of a track. Still another method for maximizing the amount of data that can be stored is to maximize the amount of magnetic tape that can be provided on a reel, for example, by making the magnetic tape thinner. The thin magnetic tape is more sensitive to variations in the longitudinal movement of the tape by a drive system, requiring that the longitudinal movement of the magnetic tape be kept relatively constant in order to avoid stretching of the tape or having slack in the tape.
Timing based servo systems allow both objectives to be attained. A timing based servo system is employed, for example, with the Linear Tape Open (LTO) format, one example comprising the LTO Ultrium magnetic tape drive and associated tape cartridge produced by International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) of Armonk, N.Y. A linear servo track comprises a pattern, for example, of prerecorded magnetic transitions or edges of stripes forming a timing based servo pattern of a repeating cyclic periodic sequence of transitions of two different slants or azimuthal orientations that extend laterally over the linear servo track. For example, the pattern may comprise transitions slanted, or having an azimuthal orientation, in a first direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the linear servo track, alternating with transitions having different slants, for example, in the opposite direction. Thus, as the magnetic tape is moved with respect to a servo sensor in the longitudinal direction, the lateral positioning of the servo sensor with respect to the timing based servo track is sensed based on a measure of time between two transitions having different slants as compared to time between two transitions having parallel slants. The relative timing of the transitions read by the servo read head varies linearly depending on the lateral position of the head. Herein, the terms “slant”, “slanted” or “slants” refer to any azimuthal orientation, including no slant, or a transition that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction or parallel to the transverse direction.
The lateral position of a servo sensor with respect to the servo track may comprise a measure of time between two transitions having different slants, this distance called the “a” distance, as compared to time between two transitions having the same slant, this distance called the “b” distance. The servo tracks are typically generated by a servo writer having two spaced apart write elements of different slants, forming the “a” distance, which are pulsed simultaneously.
With the servo writer utilizing two spaced apart elements with different slants, the writer generator is pulsed periodically with the period between pulses set so that, with the nominal tape velocity of the servo writer drive, the geometric distance between elements having the same slant (generated by the same element of the writer) is the “b” distance discussed above. Thus substantial error in the velocity of the tape by the servo writer drive or substantial error in the timing between the pulses, results in an error in the “b” distance and hence an error in the lateral position calculated based on the “b” pulse timing.
Further, the longitudinal velocity of the magnetic tape is determined based on measuring the timing between two transitions having the same slant, the “b” distance. Thus substantial error in the velocity of the tape by the servo writer drive or substantial error in the timing between the pulses, results in an error in the “b” distance and hence an error in the longitudinal velocity of the tape calculated based on the “b” pulse timing.
Error in the resultant spacing of the “b” transitions cannot be compensated for in the magnetic tape drive because the error is written into the magnetic tape in the servo pattern.